Filipino stewed chicken in coconut cream and vinegar

Adobo sa Gata

Chicken adobo! I learned this recipe from my long time reader Josephine during my Gapshida trip in the Philippines! It was a great chance to meet her face to face because she had already been sharing her amazing Korean food photos with me and my other readers for years. Her husband Cyrus volunteered to be our cameraman. It was hot day, but also a great opportunity for me to meet such an avid reader to cook and film together. In the evening we had a wonderful potluck meetup with my super-passionate readers in the Philippines.

The recipe is very simple and the taste is awesome. I’m always interested to learn recipes from different cultures, so I made my own chicken adobo when I got back home to New York. It was delicious!

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Ingredients (for 4 servings)

1 kg chicken (2.2 pounds), cut into pieces

6 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ ts ground white pepper

½ cup white or cane vinegar

2 pieces of bay leaves

1 tbs vegetable oil

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup coconut cream

1 ts salt

1 ts fish sauce

2-5 green chillies

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Directions

(cooking time: 1 hour)

In a mixing bowl, create the marinade by combining the crushed garlic, ground white pepper, vinegar and bay leaves.

Add the chicken to the marinade and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Heat up a pan and add the vegetable oil. Add the chicken pieces and saute until they’re brown on all sides. Save the marinade for later.

Add the coconut milk and the marinade to the pan, and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat until the liquid thickens.

Remove excess fat from the pan with a spoon.

Add the coconut cream and green chilies and cook over low heat for another 5-10 minutes until a creamy sauce is formed.

Chicken Adobo but it is different from the Adobo cooked in a thin brown soy sauce and vinegar. It has coconut cream that made the Adobo really tasteful. I want to try this new version of Adobo for my family.Thanks for the recipe.

Maangchi,
I am thrilled to see your post on the chicken adobo. Depending on your family tradition and the region where you came from, there are hundred versions on how adobo is cooked. The most common version is cooked with soy sauce instead of coconut milk. I do enjoy both versions.
My suggestion to those who cannot have access to cane vinegar is to dilute the white vinegar with water. When I first came here in the US (like you, I reside in NY), I used the white vinegar.
I am sorry that you did not get good accommodations during your stay in Manila. I hope the Filipino spirit more than makes it up for you. I am sure had you asked for recommendation from local followers, you would have had better place to stay.
I would like to request if you can post a recipe for white kimchi. I’ve seen it a lot of Kdrama that I am very fond of watching. Thank you and good luck on your future projects.

does adobo supposed to be sour due to the vinegar ?? how is the taste supposed to be ?? i am making this tonight for dinner . I didn’t use cane vinegar , instead i used white vinegar , but i found it very sour . So i was wondering is it supposed to be that way ??

Hi Maangchi!
I’m half Filipino and my mom’s adobo is made in a thin brown sauce with anise and hard boiled eggs like you make in your jangjorim. This version looks so yummy as well! I lived in the Philippines for two years when I was quite little and I miss all the food there!

wow it reminds me of gapshida philippines 2011 and its an honor that you present a filipino food and by the way adobo is a common thing in the philippines but it is our national dish… thanks for all! :D you remember me right i am the one who bring a mandu guk and korean fried chicken and with a picture who cooked a korean fried chicken instead of chicken its fish but you know the truth is you inspire me even my friends also follow you! :D

Joyce, yes I remember your adobo blog! The recipe was handed down by your father! “..when I was little and we had a school field trip for Girl Scouts, my Dad would cook adobo so I can pack it for our lunch…” Food is closely tied to our memories!